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One-year-old male arrives from Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Potter Park Zoo’s most recent addition is a one-year-old male Pallas Cat named Olaf who came from the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

This species is solitary in the wild other than when breeding or caring for offspring. They live in small caves or in burrows abandoned by other species.

The Pallas Cat is native to central Asia and is classified as near threatened. Wild populations are declining due to loss of prey, habitat loss and poaching.

They can live at altitudes up to 10,000 feet and are expert predators, ambushing pika, rodents and other small mammals. They weigh from 6 to 11 lbs. and thrive in mountain regions including grasslands, woodlands, and semi-desert habitats. Their dense grey and brown coat color allows them to blend in with the environment and helps them stay warm in cold weather climates. They can live in locations where temperatures go as low as -60 fahrenheit.

Olaf is the product of a breeding recommendation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan. This program cooperatively manages specific threatened or endangered species populations at AZA accredited zoos and aquariums. He is on exhibit at Potter Park Zoo in a newly renovated enclosure across from the snow leopard.